Figure "ikenga" ·  Nigéria, Igbo · ID: 3037585

Description

wood, encrusted brown patina with remains of kaolin, stripes of fabric, characteristic features: crowning horns, machete and head of a venerated ancestor, sacrificial traces, slightly dam., cracks (left side of the body, back of the head, base), minor missing parts (base);
“ikenga” symbolizes the Igbo adult male’s aggressiveness and drive to achievement and success. Before undertaking a venture requiring economic skills or physical prowess the owner makes sacrificial offerings to the “ikenga”, which embodies the spirit of the owner’ s hand. This act of worship assures him the power to accomplish his goal.